Judge hit and killed by car while walking in Jefferson County

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — An East Tennessee judge was struck and killed early Sunday morning in Jefferson County.

Okie Duane Slone, 61, has died. According to a preliminary report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, he was walking east on E Highway 25/70 towards Mountain Vista Trail around 1:30 a.m. when he walked out into the roadway an was struck by a car.

No charges are pending, according to the THP report.

Slone was first elected to the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court in 1998 and co-founded his judicial district’s Drug Recovery Court in 2009. The Fourth Judicial Circuit has jurisdiction in Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson, and Sevier counties.

“My heart is crushed. Judge Slone had a massive heart for people that came to his court room. He literally put “drug courts” on the map for TN,” State Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) wrote on Facebook. “He will forever be missed and his contribution to substance abuse will be felt for generations.”

The Cocke County and Sevier County sheriff’s offices shared statements mourning Slone’s death.

It’s with a heavy heart to report the passing of Judge Slone from a tragic accident. A judge that had all intentions to see the good in all people in his courtroom. He loved kids and always wanted the best for them. Prayers for all that are involved in the accident, the families affected, the court system and anyone else involved during this tragedy. We most definitely will miss him on the bench.

Cocke County Sheriff’s Office

Judge Slone cared deeply about helping others. His ambition to deter and rehabilitate those affected by drugs and addiction led to him to co-found the drug recovery court. Duane truly believed in these efforts and if you knew him personally, you were witness to his profound purpose. We are praying for everyone involved in this tragedy, for his family, his friends, and for the judicial community, who lost one of their own.

Sevier County Sheriff’s Office

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